The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1887-08-06

Wits hu'l y uoNlN. a nuilufeu years ago
these islands were the centre of a magnif-
cent and generous hospitality. The grand
old burghers who lived on them surround
ed by their slaves, kept up kind of regal
court which served to keep alive the royal
memories of the home which their fathers
had left across the sea.
Randalls Island, the least of the gronp,
is divided between the State aud city; the
State Society, acting independently under
its own charter as the Society for the Re-
formation of Juvenile Delinquents occupy
ING about thirty acres at the south end of
the island, and all the rest being devoted to
the reformatory and charitable institutions
of the city.
II is not pleasant sight TO see these
waits AMI strays Gagged behind prison bars
and subject to prison discipline. The long
tiers of narrows cells remird you unpleas-
antly that to maintain anything like dis
cipline and order IL is necessary to cage
these incipient criminals separately, and
that frequently the lash has TO be brought
into requisition to sccure obedience to the
prison rules. Passing through the work
shops where several hundred of them are
congregated, you recognize at glance the
difference between them and ordinary chill
dren. Here and there you see face that
bears no evidence of crime or sin, but the
great body of them look old and pinched; /;
most of them have that keen, knowing lecr
that makes you feel uncomfortable and as
sures you that II Il were not for the watch
fulness of the officers in charge and the
constant restraints thrown around them,
your watch or rocketbook would scarcely
he safe while making a tour of inspection,
In the State Resnrmatory nearly i Thousand
boys and girls are confined. All Of them
are picked mp as vagrants ON the streets,
and here are committed the sons and
daughters who defy paternal rule and
abandon thOIr homes.
1t is terrible sight to see the grown
criminals in States prison or penitcnliary,
but IL is with a feeling perfectly indescrib-
able that | looked upon those boys and
girls. Stopping before one Of the small
cels | noticed stain upon tle floor. II
was right there that one of the keepers had
his brains dashed out only a few nights he
tore by one of the youthful convicts. The
boy was only sixteen years old and not IN
| for "a long tern hut he wanted lis liberty,
| by an infraction of one Of the prison rules
/ the keeper WIS induced 10 enter the young
ruiiians eel! when hp Drained him with q
piece Of lead pipe wrapped up in Il news
paper. The wonderful thing connected
with this Society is that they claim that
eighty per cent. of the children are reformed
and become honrst aud useful members OF
society.
Tho Society for the Reformation Of Juv-
emile Delinquents was founded in 1924.
Its original patron was James w. G, rard,
and his connection with 1t occurred in q
most singular way. He was a lawyer by
profession and he was called upon to defend
boy who had been detected stealing a
canary bird. There was no question about
the theft; the fact was proven, but Mr..
Gerard made such a powerful appeal to the
jury that the boy was acquitted; he after
wards became a confirmed thief and died
in Jail Mr.. Gerard then commenced his
great reformatOrY work which has saved
over $4,000 boys and girls from becoming
criminals, and made many of them ORA
ments of society.
We shall miss :wo noted statues from a
couple of our public buildings. The Angel
of Charity which for many years adorned
the front of the Equitable Life Insurance
Company, and the Goddess of Justice from
the top Of the City Hall. The Angel OF
Charity protecting a little child with her
Life Insurance shield was one of the most
attractive objects on Broadway. IL was
cut by Ward, the sculptor, at cost of $50,
600 several years ago. The Equitable has
grown rich since thel'; they have no furth.
er need Of the angel, so they have Laken
her down and put her out of sight. Gen
eral Newton, the Commissioner of Public
Works, discovered what has long been sus-
pected, that the Goddess of Justice on tor
of the City Hal! was perishing of dry rot,
and tina. If not speedily helped from hei
elevated position she might tumble down
about our ears-scales, blindfeld and all
so last week they lowered the old lady from
the summit of our Hotel du Vile, and now
We are going to have one of bronze, which,
it is hoped, will last till the Anti-Poverty
Society erects q new City Hall.
BROADBRIM